1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to interactive television systems, and more particularly, to a remote control device for video and audio capture and communication.
2. Description of the Background Art
Prior systems, methods, and devices for capturing and communicating video and audio information have various problems and disadvantages.
Consider conventional xe2x80x9cwebcamxe2x80x9d (web camera) devices available today. Such cameras are designed to be mounted on, or placed near, a computer monitor. Designs for monitor-mounted cameras are shown, for example, in U.S. Design Patent No. D0363502 to MacMurtrie et al., entitled xe2x80x9cMonitor mounted video camera,xe2x80x9d and No. D0363730 to Flohr et al., entitled xe2x80x9cVideo camera unit for mounting on a computer monitor.xe2x80x9d Both of these design patents are hereby incorporated by reference.
A commercially-available xe2x80x9cwebcamxe2x80x9d product that is designed to be laced near a computer monitor is the Logitech Quickcam Pro USB(copyright) from Logitech, Inc., of Fremont, Calif. Such camera devices are typically connected via a cable to a port of the computer.
In general, monitor-mounted cameras are advantageous when used to capture images of a user sitting in front of the computer. Nevertheless, they present several problems and disadvantages.
First, it is awkward and difficult for a user to point such cameras in different directions. The user would typically have to be near the camera and reach over to change the camera""s orientation. Second, such cameras are typically not very mobile, since they are connected via a physical cable to the computer. Unfortunately, this means that in order to capture an image of a subject, the subject must be physically placed within view of the camera at its fixed location. Third, due to their immobility, such cameras often miss moments of primary interest to users, which are often transitory and do not occur in close proximity to a computer. For instance, a baby walking for the first time in the family room is very unlikely to be captured by such fixed or tethered devices.
Moreover, consider conventional systems and methods where such xe2x80x9cwebcamxe2x80x9d devices are used for video communications. A conventional system would utilize a modem connection from a personal computer to an Internet service provider (ISP). Using such a connection, the captured video information would be transmitted from the personal computer of one user over the Internet to a personal computer of another user. Although this may achieve a rudimentary form of video conferencing between two users, such Internet-based video conferencing is typically unreliable and of uneven bandwidth due to limitations of the Internet.
The present invention provides a remote control device for video and audio capture and communication that overcomes the above-described problems and disadvantages.
In one aspect of the invention, a remote control for an interactive television system includes an integrated camera, such as a digital video camera, for capturing video information. The camera may include a charge-coupled device (CCD) array, and may be configured with a digital zoom feature, an automatic white balance feature, and an automatic exposure feature. In one embodiment, the camera is configured to capture an NTSC-compatible video signal.
In another aspect of the invention, the remote control includes a wireless transmitter for transmitting video information captured by the camera to the interactive television system. In one embodiment, the wireless transmitter is a high-bandwidth, radio-frequency (RF) transmitter. The wireless transmitter may be configured to utilize a radio-frequency antenna integrated with a circuit board for the remote control.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the camera is configured to capture a still image, and the wireless transmitter is further configured to transmit the still image to the interactive television system. The remote control may include a digital storage device for storing still images captured by the camera.